With the development and changes of climate, the negative impact of sandstorms on the environment has seriously endangered the living environment of humans. Therefore, monitoring and warning of sandstorms have become very important in meteorological observation activities.

The sandstorm monitoring station mainly monitors the main meteorological elements that form sandstorms, such as wind, sand, and temperature, in order to control sandstorms. The measurement of sand mainly relies on the wind erosion sensor H14-LIN, which is used to measure the momentum flux of sand. The two outputs are kinetic energy and the number of particles impacted. The principle is that the amount of charge is proportional to the kinetic energy of the particle. The relationship between charge, voltage, and capacitance is q=CV, V=q/C 。 The fluctuation of voltage in capacitors is like an irregular staircase, and the kinetic energy of individual particles affects the charge on each staircase. When the voltage applied to the capacitor exceeds the internal reference voltage, the capacitor will repeat this process. A rapid discharge pulse will be converted into the energy value of particles, which is the accumulated energy value of individual particles. When conducting field calibration, the output pulse number of the sensor should refer to the total number of wind eroded sand and stones collected during one wind erosion. Due to differences in particle velocity, drag coefficient, and mass, it is difficult to determine the minimum particle diameter. The sensor can measure particles with a diameter of approximately 50 to 70 microns when impacted at low speeds, but cannot measure particles with a diameter of 10 to 50 microns. The main performance of H14-LIN is as follows:

Range: 50-70 μ m

Output: Number of sand and dust particle impacts and impact kinetic energy

Standard operating temperature: -25 to+60 ℃

The sensor outputs two data quantities, one is kinetic energy and the other is the number of particles impacted. Kinetic energy output is often used to measure the energy carried by particles that jump directly, and the output of the number of particles that collide reflects the number of individual particles. During a certain sampling period, all required data is fully converted into the number of output pulses. The usual sampling interval for data is 15 seconds to 1 hour.

Generally, the configuration of a dust monitoring station can be divided into two types: simple and research-oriented.

1、 Simple configuration requirements

This configuration is mainly used for stations that can be frequently moved, which is equivalent to a portable dust storm monitoring station, and can also be used in the source areas of dust storms. The main configuration is as follows:

Number Name Unit Quantity Manufacturer

1 wind erosion sensor 1 Sense

2 wind speed sensors, 1 Met One

3 wind direction sensors, 1 Met One

4 sets of sand collectors, 1 domestically produced set

5 data collectors, 1 Campbell

6 bracket sets, 1 domestically produced

2、 Research level configuration requirements

The configuration of research level sandstorm monitoring stations can meet the requirements of basic wind erosion monitoring stations, and this type of research requires at least three anemometers. The main configuration is as follows:

Number Name Unit Quantity Manufacturer

1 wind erosion sensor 1 Sense

2 wind speed sensors 3-6 Met One

3 wind direction sensors, 1 Met One

4 temperature sensors, 1 Campbell

5 sets of sand collectors, 1 domestically produced set

6 data collectors, 1 Campbell

7 bracket sets, 1 domestically produced

The installation of sensors is crucial in the installation of research grade stations. There are mainly the following aspects:

1. Height of anemometer

U * is the term for wind shear stress, sometimes also referred to as friction rate. The height of the anemometer is installed in logarithmic intervals to measure U *, which is represented by a diagonal line on the graph. This U * usually represents the frictional velocity of the wind, measured in centimeters per second, and is calculated based on the smallest of the three data points. If four anemometers are used in the measurement, there may be a possibility of inaccurate measurement or the data obtained may only be used as a reference. When calculating, the other three data points are still used. But we still often choose four anemometers because this ensures that the measured data will not be completely lost in case of accidents.

For a field wind erosion meteorological station, wind speed is a very important measurement value. The installation height of anemometers follows logarithmic intervals. The usual height is 2 meters above the ground surface. The lowest anemometer can be as close to the ground as possible, but the pollution problem of the instrument should be considered. This height takes into account aerodynamic factors, and the most suitable height for anemometers is 2 meters above the ground surface when there is no vegetation. For example, if the height of the anemometer is lower than or equal to the height of the vegetation, the displayed wind speed may be 0. If not affected by vegetation, there are two ways to install the four anemometers: one is to choose 20cm, 50cm, 100cm, and 200cm. Another installation height is 1m, 2m, 5m, 10m to 20m. This height of installation. The former is easy to install, while the latter can obtain more accurate values and eliminate the influence of shrubs and weeds on the ground.

2. Height of wind erosion sensor

The wind erosion sensor should be located relatively close to the sand and gravel collector, and the terrain on which it is installed should be flat or vegetation should not cause movement of the wind erosion sensor and sand and gravel collector. Wind erosion sensors should be in contact with the measured environment as much as possible.

3. Sand and gravel collector

It is important to install the sand and gravel collector and wind erosion sensor at the same height. The sand and gravel collector cannot be calibrated too much in the field, but it must be installed at the same height as the wind erosion sensor. If more sand and gravel collectors are used, their installation follows a logarithmic distribution, but the center of an open collector must be at the same height as the wind erosion sensor.

4. Installation of temperature sensor (optional)

If air density correction is needed, a temperature sensor will be used. The typical two heights are 10cm and 200cm, and they are installed on the same vertical line.

5. Sampling period

The sampling period for each data collection point is preferably 15 seconds or 30 seconds., The sampling period usually ranges from 15 seconds to 2 hours, depending on the storage capacity of the data collected.

Installation Example (1): Minqin Sand and Dust Monitoring Station in Gansu Province

Installation Example (2): Dunhuang Sandstorm Monitoring Station in China